at home in connecticut in 1961, he told walter cronkite -- >> it's like a baseball player or any athlete: he's only good when he instinctively does the right thing. >> reporter: the dave brubeck quartet's signature tune, "take five," appeared on their landmark album, "time out." released in 1959, it was the first jazz album to sell a million copies. the opening cut, "blue rondo a la turk," was taken from a street rhythm in istanbul. >> one two, one two, one two, one-two-three; one two, one two, one two, one-two-three. >> reporter: throughout his career, brubeck was an ambassador for music. in 1988, he played at the reagan-gorbachev summit in moscow and later remembered -- >> the room started keeping time [ tapping]. all these people that almost hated each other were swinging. >> reporter: in 1994, president clinton awarded him the national medal of the arts. >> i'll never forget the first time when, as a high school musician, i discovered that i could actually play the saxophone lead in "take five." [ laughter ] >> reporter: in 2009, the kennedy center honored his six decades of creation